Two friends of the queen now represented the departure of Columbus as an immense and irreparable loss, and, by their supplications and protestations, induced her once more to consider the vast importance of the plans he proposed. Moved by their persuasions, she declared that she accepted the enterprise, not jointly, as the wife of the King of Spain, but independently, as Queen of Castile. As the treasury was depleted by the drains of war, she offered to defray the expenses with her own jewels. A messenger was despatched for Columbus, who was overtaken a few miles from Grenada. He at first hesitated to return; but, after reflecting upon the heroic determination of Isabella, who thus took the initiative in a perilous undertaking, against the report of the junto, the advice of her councillors, and in spite of the indifference of the king, he obeyed with alacrity, and returned to Santa Fe. He was received with distinction by the court and with affectionate consideration by the queen. Ferdinand remained a stranger to the expedition. He applied his signature to the stipulations, but caused it to be distinctly set down that the whole affair was undertaken by the Queen of Castile, at her own risk and peril,--thus excluding himself forever from lot or parcel in this transcendent enterprise. [Illustration: VIOLET ASTERIA.] [Illustration: THE FLEET OF COLUMBUS.] [Illustration: HEAD OF MERGONSER.] CHAPTER XV. THE PORT OF PALOS--THE SUPERSTITION OF ITS MARINERS--THE HAND OF SATAN--A BIRD WHICH LIFTED VESSELS TO THE CLOUDS--THE PINTA AND THE NINA--THE SANTA MARIA--CAPACITY OF A SPANISH CARAVEL--THE THREE PINZONS--THE DEPARTURE--COLUMBUS' JOURNAL--THE HELM OF THE PINTA UNSHIPPED--THE VARIATION OF THE NEEDLE--THE APPEARANCE OF THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC--FLOATING VEGETATION--THE SARGASSO SEA--ALARM, AND THREATENED MUTINY, OF THE SAILORS--PERPLEXITIES OF COLUMBUS--LAND! LAND! A FALSE ALARM--INDICATIONS OF THE VICINITY OF LAND--MURMURS OF THE CREWS--OPEN REVOLT QUELLED BY COLUMBUS--FLOATING REEDS AND TUFTS OF GRASS--LAND AT LAST--THE VESSELS ANCHOR OVER-NIGHT. Columbus received his letters-patent, granting him all the privileges and titles he had demanded, on the 30th of April, 1492. His son Diego was made page to the prince-royal,--a favor only accorded to children of noble families. The harbor of Palos was chosen as the port of departure; and its inhabitants, whose annual taxes consisted in furnishing two caravels, armed and manned, to the Government, were instructed to place them, within ten days, at the orders of Columbus. Persons awaiting trial or condemnation were to have the privilege of escaping verdict and punishment by embarking upon this terrible and perhaps fatal voyage.